Machine for finishing stereotype and other curved plates.



No. 803,422. PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905. H. G. MAOGONNBLL.

MACHINE FOR FINISHING STEREO'I'YPE AND OTHER GURVBD PLATES. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7. 1904.

N0- 808,422. PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905.

H. G. MAOOONNBLL.

MACHINE FOR FINISHING S'I'BREOTYPE AND OTHER GURVBD PLATES.

APPLIUATION FILED mm. 7, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WM7JKQ4 w PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905.

H. G. MAUGONNELL. MACHINE FOR FINISHING STEREOTYPE AND OTHER GURVED PLATES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H NT N b UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH CREIGHTON MACCONNELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. MA CHINE FOR FINISHING STEREOTYPE AND OTHER CURVED PLATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed December '7, 1904. Serial No- 235,886.

To all whom/it may concern."

Be it known that I, HUGH OREIeHToN IVIAG- CoNNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Finishing Stereotype and other Curved Plates, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a simple and compact machine for finishing stereotype-plates.

My invention is particularly adapted for use in finishing the curved stereotype-plates used in printing newspapers and books. These plates are comparatively large and must be handled with great care and cut accurately.

The plates when they are cast have a gatesection attached to them which must be removed, while the two ends must be beveled and the edges trimmed smooth. The plates are provided with internal ribs, which have to be cut so as to fit the center of the. press.

By my improved method I am enabled to provide a very accurate and simple machine for entirely finishing the plate, so that it can be transferred direct to the machine and then to the press.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 1 1, Fig. 3, of my improved stere'otype-plate-finishing machine. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view on the line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is an' end view. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4 4, Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the plate.

In the accompanying drawings, A is the frame of the machine, consisting of two housings suitably connected by cross-bars, and in each of these housings are rollers a, four in the present instance, which support a cylinder D, the rollers resting in annular grooves cl in the cylinder. The upper rolls in the present instance can be adjusted by means of set-screws a. The lower rolls may also be made adjustable, if desired.

On the cylinder are internal ribs d and (Z upon which rest the edges of the curved plate shown in Fig. 5, and one of the ribs acts asa pusher to push the stereotype-plate forward as the cylinder is turned.

B is a fixed longitudinal bar mounted in bearings B and B at each end of the machine. The bearing B is U-shaped, as shown in Fig. 3, theside arms being extended so that it will clear the gate, which is attached to the stereotype-plate. Mounted rigidly on the bar B is a saddle C, having arms 0, which radiate from the hub 0, attached to the bar. The saddle extends over the bearing B, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, so that the plate can .be mounted first on the saddle and then pushed into the cylinder.

On the side of the machine is attached in the present instance an electric motor W, (shown in dotted lines,) which is belted to a longitudinal shaft E, the belt being also shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4. This longitudinal shaft carries cutters e e at each end. These cutters have a beveled face, so as to cut the ends of the plate on a bevel. The cutter 6 also acts to sever the gatew from the stereotype-plate a2, Fig. 5.

The cutter-shaft E is mounted in bearings in the frame A, and the cutters may be'of any form desired without departing from the main feature of the invention.

In the present instance I mount a transverse shaft F on the bearing B, and on this shaft are two cutters f f for finishing the lower edges 00 of the plate was it is pushed over the saddle and into the cylinder. The shaft F is driven from a shaft F by miter-wheels, and this shaft F in turn is driven from the shaft E by gearing f f. The shaft F is also mounted in the bearing B as well as in the frame A.

The cylinder D is revolved slowly by means of worm-gearing. On the cylinder D is a worm-wheel G, having teeth which mesh with the worm G, in the present instance mounted on a tubular shaft G2, carried by a shaft H, which is driven from the main shaft E by an inclined shaft H and gearing [L h [L2 70 The speed of the shaft H is preferably reduced.

In order to start and stop the rotation of the cylinder independent of the cutters, I mount the worm G on the tubular shaft G which is provided with a friction-disk g in the present instance, which can be engaged by a friction-disk c' on a sleeve I, actuated by a handlever I, which has a forked portion a engag ing the sleeve, so that on moving the lever I in one direction the disk e will be forced against the disk 9 and the worm will be driven by the shaft H, as the sleeve is splined to the said shaft. When the lever is thrown in the opposite direction, the friction-disk e' is withdrawn from the disk g, thus stopping the rotation of the worm G and the cylinder D.

In order to lock the cylinder at a given point, I provide a latch J, pivoted at f to the frame of the machine, and this latch is provided with a linger j, which enters a notch in the cylinder D. The latch is weighted, so that when the notch in the cylinder comes in line with the finger j the finger will drop into the notch and stop the cylinder at the point desired. When it is wished to start up the cylinder, all that is necessary is to throw the lever, which will cause the cylinder to rotate. Then the latch can be released and will drop into its notch automatically when a revolution has been completed. It will be understood that any suitable mechanism may be provided for imparting motion to the cylinder or for driving the several cutters and that means may be provided for automatically throwing out the clutch mechanism when the cylinder has completed a revolution without departing from the main feature of the invention.

In order to trim the internal ribs of the plate, I provide a knife it, which is mounted on a frame K, having hubs secured to the longitudinal bar B. This knife can be made adjustable, if desired, and is so set that when a cylinder travels past it it will trim the internal ribs :13 of the plate, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5, so that the curved plate will fit snugly on the cylinder of the printing-press.

Secured to the front of the machine is a bracket L, having a curved upper face Z, which is so set as to receive the gate a," when it is severed from the body a: of the plate. The gate will fall onto this bracket L and will slide .over it and away from the machine.

I provide a stop a at the rear of the machine for limiting the inward movement of the plate when it is forced into the cylinder by hand. This stop in the present instance is in the form of a lever pivoted at n to the saddle C and projects through an opening in the saddle in the path of the plate. A spring a tends to keep the stop in the raised position, and the stop can be withdrawn by a bolt 42., which is connected to the short arm of the lever by a cord or wire a". (Clearly illustrated in Fig. 1.) Any suitable means may be provided for operating this stop, and I do not limit myself to the precise mechanism shown.

At the rear of the machine is a belt conveyer M, which is arranged to carry the plate from the machine when it is finished and pushed from the saddle. The conveyer is speeded to such an extent as to rapidly carry the plate away from the machine,so as to allow the stop at to spring back into place after the finished plate has passed it and before the other plate reaches the stop.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The plate is taken from the mold with the edges comparatively rough and the gate attached. It is placed upon the forward end of the saddle G and is guided in the present instance by the upper: edges of the bearing B. The plate is then forced slowly over the saddle. The lower edges of the plate are trimmed by the cutters f f, and when the plate is pushed entirely into the cylinder its movement is arrested by the stop 22-. The cylinder is then set in motion by shifting the lever I, throwing the worm-shaft in gear with the driving-shaft H. At the same time the pivoted latch J is held out of its notch in the cylinder and the cylinder is slowly rotated. As the cylinder rotates the plate is acted upon by the cutters e c, the cutter 0 cutting the groove x, which severs the gate 00 from the body of the plate and bevels one end of the plate, while the cutter e bevels the other end 01; of the plate. WVhen the gate m is completely severed from the cylinder, it falls onto the bracket L and falls clear of the machine, while the body of the plate then passes the knife is, which trims the internal ribs m of the plate. The plate is then carried to its original position on the saddle and the cylinder stopped from rotating. The plate is then completely trimmed and ready to be removed from the machine. This is done by mounting another plate on the saddle, and as it is pushed forward over the cutters for trimming the edges 0: the stop a is withdrawn and the'finished plate pushed out onto the conveyer M, which conveys the plate away from the machine.

I claim as my invention" 1. In a machine for finishing segmental stereotype and other curved plates, the combination of cutters arranged to trim a plate, a hollow rotatable carrier within which the segmental plate is mounted, and means on the carrier for pushing the plate forward past the cutters, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for finishing stereotype and other curved plates, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, means for supporting a plate within the cylinder, and means for simultaneously trimming the ends and the inner surface of the plate while it is being carried by the cylinder, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for finishingstereotype or other curved plates, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, a saddle extending into the cylinder, and cutters, with means for supporting a plate within the cylinder and carrying it past the cutters, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for finishing stereotype and other curved plates, the combination of a hollow rotatable cylinder, a saddle extending into the cylinder, a projection on the inner surface of the cylinder acting to push the plate, with rotating cutters at each end of the cylinder for trimming the ends of the plate as it is carried past the cutters, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for finishing segmental stereotype and other curved plates, the combination of a hollow rotatable cylinder, a saddle projecting into the cylinder, a projection on the inner surface of the cylinder acting to push the plate, with a fixed knife so arranged in respect to the cylinder as to trim the inner surface of the curved plate, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a rotatable cylinder, means for supporting a plate within the cylinder, a fixed knife for trimming the inner surface of the plate, and rotating cutters at each end of the machine for trimming each end of the plate, substantially as described.

7 The combination of a rotatable cylinder, means for supporting a plate within the cylinder so that it will be carried thereby, a fixed saddle, a bar upon which the saddle is mounted, and a knife hung from said bar and arranged to trim the inner surface of the plate as it is carried past the knife by the cylinder, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a cylinder, means for supporting a plate within the cylinder, asaddle Within the cylinder and overhanging one end of the machine, cutters arranged in advance of the cylinder whereby each edge of the plate is trimmed as the plate is passed into the cylinder, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a rotating cylinder, means for supporting a plate within the cylinder, a fixed saddle in the cylinder and overhanging at one end, cutters arranged at each edge of the overhanging portion whereby as the plate is moved over the overhanging portion its edge will be trimmed, and cutters for trimming the other edges of the plate as the plate is carried past the cutters by the rotating cylinder, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a cylinder, means for supporting a plate within the cylinder, a saddle extending within the cylinder and overhanging at one end, a gate-support under the saddle, and a cutter for separating the gate from the body of the plate, the gate-support being so arranged as to receive the gate as it is removed from the plate, substantially as described.

11. The combination of a rotatable cylinder, ribs on the inner surface of the cylinder for supporting the plate to be trimmed, and cutters arranged to trim the plate as it is car-,

ried by the cylinder,substantially as described.

12. The combination of a rotatable cylinder, ribs on the inner surface of the cylinder for engaging the plate to be trimmed,. a saddle extending into the cylinder, means for driving the cylinder, cutters, means for driving the cutters, and mechanism for throwing the driving mechanism of the cylinder out of action after each revolution, substantially as described.

13. The combination of a frame having rollers thereon, a cylinder having annular grooves in its periphery into which the rollers extend, a worm-wheel mounted in the cylinder, a worm for driving said worm-wheel, means on the inner surface of the cylinder for carrying a plate, and cutters arranged so as to trim the plate as it is carried by the rotating cylinder, substantially as described.

14:. The combination of a frame, a cylinder mounted on the frame, means for driving said cylinder, means on the inner surface of the cylinder for carrying a plate mounted within the cylinder, a U-shaped bearing extending in front of the machine, a fixed saddle having an extension, said saddle and extension being supported by the Ushaped bearing at one end, a bearing for supporting the rear end of the saddle, a transverse shaft mounted in the U-shaped bearing, cutters carried by the said shaft and arranged to trim the edges of the plate as it is fed into the saddle, and cutters for trimming the ends of the plate as it is carried by the cylinder, substantially as described.

15. In a machine for finishing stereotype and other curved plates, the combination of a rotatable cylinder, a cutter at each end of the cylinder and a cutter extending through the center of the cylinder, said cutters being mounted in fixed bearings, a projection on the inner surface of the cylinder for engaging the plate mounted within the' cylinder so that as the cylinder is rotated the edges of the plate will be trimmed simultaneously with the trimming of the inner surface of the plate, substantially as described.

16. The combination in a machine for finishing stereotype and other curved plates hav ing ribs on their inner surfaces, of a frame, bearings on said frame, a cylinder mounted within the bearings, means for driving said cylinder, a longitudinal rib on the inner side of the cylinder for engaging a plate to be trimmed mounted within the cylinder, bearings at each end of the cylinder, a bar mounted on the bearings, a segmental saddle secured to the bar extending into the cylinder and spaced a sufficient distance from the inner surface of the cylinder to allow for the passage of a plate, the said saddle extending beyond the cylinder at one end, cutters at the lower end of the saddle so as to trim a plate as it is fed onto the saddle toward and into the cylinder, cutters mounted on the frame at each end of the cylinder, and a cutter mounted on the bar within the cylinder, the end cutters arranged to trim the ends of the plate as it is carried by the cylinder and the cutter Within the cylinder arranged to trim the inner surface of the plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HUGH CREIGHTON DIAOCONNELL.

Witnesses:

WILL. A. BARR, J 0s. H. KLEIN.

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